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Author: Denigoddess2001
Addy: Denigoddess2001yahoo.com
Fandom: Gargoyles
Saga: The Sentinels of Midnight
Episode: The Stone King II
Rating: PG-13
Date: May 03, 2004
The Stone King II
Ashatsinu still felt anxious with the subterfuge cunningly implemented by her guardian and the clan's elder. The princess felt even more beset with trepidation as she studied the fiendish creature walking by her side. Fable declared that the Tribe of Azazel worshipped not the One True All-Father, but a pantheon of infernal immortals with the bodies of men and the heads and features of wild beasts. Around the campfires at night, Ashatsinu had heard the appalling tales of how the Tribe of Azazel sacrificed its own members in times of trouble in return for favor from their many gods. All-Father's teachings forbade the spilling of Human blood for atonement of one's transgressions. Old wives' tales found their way to her ears that the Azazelite gods belonged also to the western tribes of Akkadia and the Nile, far beyond Utakku's dominance. Names such as Isis, Set, Bastet, and Anubis found their way into the conversations of her tribe's bravest warriors. Now, beside her, A DeMahri shamaness resembling the Azazelite god of the dead, kept her company. The harrowing thought brought Ashatsinu little comfort.
She pondered all of this without keeping her gaze on Arana. Dark, frightened whispers in her father's tribe hinted that some other bloodlines besides Gargoyle flowed through Arana's veins. Rumor alleged Arana had lived since Adam's time and perchance was the consequence of a mating between some nameless Gargoyle and the Azazelite deity called Anubis. [How else would she have such incredible abilities? She is more than a seer. I have heard in my father's tent that Arana is a true sorceress with powers inborn and not merely learned. How can I trust her to keep me safe? Could she be in league with Utakku?]
She ruthlessly pushed the doubtful thoughts aside and forced her mind to focus upon the upcoming journey. Ashatsinu shifted her pack easily onto one shoulder. The young princes carried little but her traveling cloak, her cherished bow, arrows and quiver, and a few keepsakes from home. The Dame had instructed her to travel light.
The young woman breathed in deeply and absorbed the fresh, clean scents of the desert night. Her camel-skin boots kept the fine, warm sand from her feet. She felt constrained with their soft confines. Many nights, Ashatsinu had run barefoot upon the shifting dunes while Gesham glided overhead on patrol. She knew the terrain well and knew her chances of survival ranked high. Still, it worried the young warrior that she traveled on foot at night with an aged warrior. Many of Ashatsinu's kind had fallen into fatal folly when they dared traveled at night. Most became easy prey for Utakku's minions as food or slaves. She wished not to join their undead ranks.
"Trouble clouds your mind, Princess." Arana wrapped her weathered wings around her statuesque form. Her tail twitched as she seeming hovered just above the sand. Ashatsinu shivered when she caught the canine profile illuminated in the moonlight. The Dame's head was unmistakably one of a jackal, the very thought sent chills of sheer horror through the young woman. She silently prayed to All-Father that Arana was friend rather than foe.
"We're placing ourselves in harm's way by traveling without an escort. It's madness to travel like this at night in the desert."
"We avoid the eyes that look for you, Princess." Arana's low voice seemed to carry the hint of a growl. It sounded as rough as the sand scuffling beneath Ashatsinu's boot heels. "The Soulless Ones have already heard of your father's plans to send you by caravan to Ur. It would be their plan to swoop down on the caravan, raid its wealth, drink everyone's blood and leave the corpses to ripen in the desert sun."
"We could make if we traveled by day."
"If the heat and the scorpions didn't make a good lunch of you first." Arana's taloned hand motioned to herself. "Child, I am stone by day. I'd be no use to you then."
"True." Ashatsinu grudgingly agreed with the sound argument. "Still, Father is going to be livid when he finds out that I'm not joining my sister in her husband's harem in Ur. He wants me to learn the feminine arts."
"Child," The beldam laid a taloned hand upon the young woman's shoulder. "There is more to being a woman than cooking, cleaning, and copulation. Your talents would be wasted and such an education reduces you to being little more than Halmu's concubine. Kenan entrusted your protection and education to Gresham. Have faith that Gresham will do right by you."
"He is simply sending me away and washing his wings of me." The Princess muttered bitterly.
"You speak harshly of one you claim to love so much." The scalding chide from Arana caused Ashatsinu's words to abruptly cease.
"Gesham desires a fate for me that is not mine." An undignified snort escaped the Princess.
"More than you know." Ashatsinu shivered when she saw Arana's cryptic smirk. "Remember, that he also wants what is best for all, including you, Your Highness."
"I believe that fate is for those who resign themselves to it." The young warrior cast her dark eyes upon the moon above them. "Destiny is to what we aspire. It results from the choices made and their consequences. However, the DeMahri, especially Gesham, cannot see that. He can only see stone or sand, black or white. He can't see all the other marvelous choices in between the two extremes."
"Ah, youth is wasted on the young." A strong, stalwart tail snaked around Ashatsinu's slender waist, pulling her close to the mystical Dame. "Princess, there are those who wish you dead. The runes have revealed some things to me, but not all. There are only two choices: either we delude Utakku and his minions' -or we all die. Those choices are blatantly simple."
"How about that we travel to Utakku's city during the day and burn them to a crisp?"
Canine ears perked up with acute attentiveness, Arana stopped in her hovering and glanced around her. Her nose twitched several times as she tested the air for various scents. "Draw your bow."
Ashatsinu knew better than to question the Dame's good instincts. Without protest, two arrows the young woman cocked two arrows against the taut bowstring. Arana's voice rang inside the Princess' mind. [Someone or something is following us. Stay close.]
Silence met Ashatsinu's human ears as she strained to hear the sounds of the night. Only the sand of sand blowing in the breeze greeted her. She nodded quickly in understanding as her eyes scanned the perimeter around them. Brown eyes widened as she watched four forms speeding over the dunes on the vista. She returned her gaze to the Dame stock-still and body pointed in the direction of the on comers. [Arana, only Soulless Ones and DeMahri take to the skies.]
Ashatsinu's tongue felt dry and swollen in her mouth as fear drained her of moisture. She quickly and silently slipped her pack from her shoulder and onto the ground. With a dull thud, it landed beside her in the sand. Crouching, she visually scouted the area for their hidden hunters.
[We remain unseen by their eyes. Thank the gods.] The princess took note of Arana's mental sigh of relief. The Dame's tail quickly swished away sand so that a small trench was between them. [Do you know of the DeMahri trick of the Stone Butterfly?]
Ashatsinu immediately nodded. The Sand Butterfly was a classic trick used in DeMahri sand-fighting. She watched as with a few flutters of wing and a few slashes of Arana's tail quickly dug a shallow trench deep and wide enough to hold the two females. Gesham had taught her the tactic well. She drew two more arrows from her quiver and held them fast in her hand. Without further instruction, with bow drawn and arrows ready, she lay down on her back in the trench dug by Arana. Over the Dame's shoulder, the Princess spotted the forms swiftly approaching. [Elder, they are getting closer.]
[So they are, Child, so they are.] Arana uncloaked her dark jade wings and covered Ashatsinu's body from brow to foot. Words rumbled in the ancient tongue of the Kah'El as Gargoyle eyes gleamed scarlet rather than silver. "Bel'lai, Menash She Seh'dai."
Pillar of sand shot up like geysers and fell upon the duo as a desert rain covering them both beneath several inches of desert. [Make not a sound, Ashatsinu, if you wish us to live.]
Lying beneath the canopy of Arana's wings, she wondered what the Dame had next in mind. Answers to her questions came quickly as she watched emerald eyes gleam with white-hot light that revealed that Arana's mindset was moving into battle mode. The brilliant radiance gave way to a vermilion gleam that reminded Ashatsinu of glowing hot embers from the Blacksmith's forge. An inhuman growl rumbled deep within Arana's chest. "Dei'Eh'Mi Errrrrrrlllll. Cacchhhhheerrrrrl."
To the average human, the phrase sounded nothing more than a feral snarl made by wild dog. Nevertheless, Ashatsinu recognized a few fragments. "Day-Eh-My" was a phrase she recognized from her patrols with Gesham. It was the name of his clan's beloved guardian beasts meaning, "Winding Wind."
A feminine voice cut with alarming clarity through the sand above them. "I smell blood, Ari. I smell fresh, virgin blood. It's so close."
Ashatsinu gulped.
[Battle well.] Arana's voice addressed her in the greeting that the DeMahri used arrival and departure from one another.
Or die.
"Be Free." Ashatsinu returned the greeting in the few syllables of Draconic she knew. [By All-Father, what does Arana have in mind!?]
In the distance, a haunting preternatural moan met her ears. She heard the gusting gales of wind nearby and knew that Arana had summoned the elements, perhaps even conjured a sand cyclone. Such winds could whisk away a dozen camels or bury a regiment in a league of sand beneath the desert. Then, a cacophonous roar blasted through the stillness. The strident bellow resembled the sound of ten thousand wrathful DeMahri warriors gliding into battle.
"By Katoramet, what is going on?!" The same feminine voice called out. "This is no accident."
The winding sirocco dancing across the dunes in haled the desert sands. A violent, unexpected gust of wind ripped away sheltering sands of the desert. Arana spread her wings their entire span and let the gale flow into their billowing folds. The back draft following the tempest caught Arana's unfurled wingspan and drew her nearly a hundred cubits away. Ashatsinu watched in wordless awe as the Dame quickly mastered the currents flowing beneath her wings and swiftly faced her adversary. Arana was a terrifying shadow against the light of the full golden moon. Chiropteran wings unfurled resembled those of the Hittite flesh-eating fiends that Ashatsinu had heard about in campfire tales as a child. The canine profile of her head gave Arana the uncanny persona of a desert deity.
One of Utakku's minions screeched in fury and dove quickly toward the Dame. Somewhere another cam in from the back and simultaneously tackled her. Arana's jade talons slashed through the sand and the night to burrow deep within the front one's chest. A strident bellow or rage escaped the warrior as the three combatants tumbled into a downward spiral into the preternatural vortex cycling beneath them.
Ashatsinu watched the cyclone's rotating maw swallow their three assailants. She had little time to mourn her guardian as she saw two more sycophants ascend over the horizon. With cold, calculating purpose she cocked an arrow into place against the bowstring. The bow creaked as Princess drew back the taut string. Index finger and thumb carefully kept the first arrow in place. Her brow furrowed in ruthless determination and let the arrow fly. It sliced a path straight and true through the blowing sand and the darkness. Her dark eyes met with the fast-approaching fiend. Its grim snarl reminded Ashatsinu of a twisted smile as the arrow found its mark and embedded deeply within the creature's chest. The smug look of victory changed to one of surprise as the creature glanced down to see the wooden projectile buried deeply within its torso. Its eyes widened with pain, surprise and fury as its hand desperately reached to pull the shaft from its bosom. It never had a chance to finish its infuriated scream as it's body burst into flame and exploded in a cloud of dusty ash and glowing cinders.
"Go to Sheol and stay there." She uttered the curse with glee.
A wild, feral screech filled the air as Arana and her vampire came tumbling from the whirlwind, wing over arm over leg over tail. Ashatsinu focused her attention on the two approaching foes.
She brought two dove-tipped arrows into place and cocked them into the bowstring. She used one's glowing golden gaze as her and let her arrows fly. A screeching hiss answered the slicing sound of the arrow entrenched in the vampire's chest. It's sudden combustion filled the entire night sky into a candant display of blazing flame.
"Oh, you are good, Young One." A voice whispered from behind her. "And it's a shame you're going to die in the zenith of your youth."
Ashatsinu remained motionless as the acrid stench of blood came closer to her. She fought the urge to run and to retch. She felt death standing within half a cubit of her. "I haven't had such innocent blood in quite some time."
Ashatsinu's hands grasped the bridge of the bow. She closed her eyes and pressed the thoughts of regret from her thoughts. She realized she would never know the love of the one who held her heart. [I will not die as a coward. I will die well.] She felt a frigid touch upon her skin without hands to accompany it. Someone....something caused her head to bend and expose her neck. Two scalding tears escaped the Princess' eye as she prepared for the bite.
She poured her brawn into her grasp as she shoved the bow backwards into her unsuspecting killer. The ironwood of the bow sank into the rib cage of her personal demon. In a pivot of Gesham's design, she turned, faced her enemy and drove forward with her bow. Ashatsinu looked into the amber eyes of her attacker with a blend of rage and bewilderment.
She saw the yellow eyes glance down were the pointed end of the bow lie buried within the vampire's chest. Then, she felt a fiery heat scorch her skin as the creature fulminated into a burst of soot, ash and sparks.
"Arana!" She remembered the Dame's plight. Ashatsinu ran to the area where she had last seen her comrade fall. "Arana. Arana? ARANA?"
One moment passed and then two.
"Menash Kah, you stupid hag!" Ashatsinu cursed the Dame in a glorious expletive of Draconic and her Tribe's tongue. "Where are you?"
Her curse turned into a scream when a power force wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the sand. Four sand-covered green talons covered the princess' mouth. "Child, your screech is enough to wake the dead."
"Harrumph." Ashatsinu screamed against the muting hand. Arana slowly pulled it away. "Or the undead."
"Point taken." The Dame scanned the landscape in Ashatsinu's direction. She nodded to the piles of ash upon the sand. "Not bad for a neophyte, Your Highness."
"Not bad!?" Ashatsinu's jaw nearly shoveled a load of sand as it dropped. "I killed two...no three - Soulless Ones with nothing more than good aim and a clear head. Try, 'well done."
"Any DeMahri warrior can take on five of those creatures with ease." Arana's scoff added more bruising to the young woman's battered ego. "But for a Human to kill one, let alone two, it shows you have potential."
"Coming from you, I'll assume that's a compliment." The princess made little attempt to hide the sarcasm charging her words with defiant energy.
"Merely a statement of fact." Arana said briskly. "Oh, and Princess?"
"Yes, O Great One?"
"You will most certainly be learning the feminine arts as Gesham requested."
"You can tell I'm overjoyed." Brown eyes rolled in disdain.
"From Eridu's City Guard." Arana's dark green eyes flashed crimson.
The bow fell to the sand. A pause hung between the two females as Ashatsinu tried to understand what Ashatsinu had just told her. "What did you say?"
"The Amazons from the surrounding lands of Eridu comprise the elite city guard that protects the city from invaders. A commission awaits you in the Guard's ranks once we arrive. What your father doesn't know won't hurt either of us. You WILL learn singing, dancing, cooking, weaving and domestic administration as is befitting a woman of your station. You'll also be learning, let us say, various other skills paramount in a young Princess's education."
"Arana, thank you!" Ashatsinu impulsively embraced the aged warrior. "I knew Gesham wouldn't let me down."
"Just don't let Gesham down." The dame gravely replied. "You will have need of those skills to protect your people. The road ahead of you is a perilous one. Take those lessons you will be learning to heart, Ashatsinu. For those lessons will be all that can save you."
"I'll never let him down." And for the rest of the journey, Ashatsinu knew peace.
Niza, with growing glee, watched the ongoing battle from her silver scrying bowl. The waters from within the large rippled gently, revealing the blowing sands and the two females fighting against their nocturnal nemeses. The sorceress dropped two sparkling amethyst gems into the enchanted pool so that all conversation was audible. She watched in muted rage as her younger sibling converted her ironwood bow into a makeshift stake. Niza's frustrated shriek became shrill as she watched two of Utakku's best hunters fall prey to the bothersome females.
"By Tiamat! No mere Human can kill one of the Soulless, let alone two! What dark Magick does my sister use!?" Niza leaned to her left and grabbed a clay jar painted with the design of a great serpent. She lifted the lid and let her henna-painted hand dip into a course ground powder. "Let me see through a minion's eyes to see what dark Magick my sisters uses. Show me how to defeat her."
Niza threw the handful of dust into the crystalline pool of water. It hissed and sizzled as the silt made contact with the enchanted waters of the scrying pool. The cracking liquid lay buried beneath a layer of lavender flame and acrid amethyst smoke rose from the basin like a slow-burning fire. It swirled and danced in a thick wall extending several cubits into the air and hovering only a few inches from the water. The eddying streams of gray smoke framed a vision that enthralled and confounded the resplendent auger into a dither of pristine fury. As a raptor focuses it's concentration upon unsuspecting prey, so did the clarity of the divination converge upon the young desert combatant.
"Show me what no one else knows." She beckoned the dark powers of Tiamat.
Against bronzed skin, the perimeter of Ashatsinu's anomalous birthmark illuminated the vision with a brilliant verdigris light. Niza leaned forward and traced the projected image in midair languidly with her index finger. She recognized the symbol for Skylaris, DeMahri goddess of the stars and cosmos. She also knew that the meddlesome deity changed the leylines of fate is it so amused her. "So, the dragon lady has taken an interest in my sister."
"Ashatsinu is pampered by our senile father and yet he doesn't appreciate the service I've given him. Instead of promising me to Halmu, he gives that unsightly little hellion to him. Halmu is mine by right. She never appreciates his gifts or his attentions. Instead, she wants to run like a heathen at night with those accursed stone golems. And now, the wench gleams the favor of a goddess." Niza's ranting filled the entirety of her tent. "Well, Ashatsinu, you have robbed me of Kenan's favor and any hope of ever being Halmu's rightful queen. But, that WILL change. I promise you."
Niza's eyes widened as the vision continually unfolded before her. She recognized the soft cream folds connecting tawny struts of chiropteran wings. A luxuriant long mane brightened flaxen by the desert son fell down broad shoulders. A gasp of unexpected delight escaped the augur as she watched tawny wings fold around the undeniably masculine figure. She watched the spade of his tale flick incessantly back and forth in a ceaseless, agile tempo. She watched the agitated Sire pace a trench along the stone walls of the tribe's encampment. Amber eyes gleamed with a golden glow in Niza's vision and they seemingly met her gaze. She saw something flash around his neck in the moonlight.
"Ashatsinu's signet ring."
It hung next to the Gargoyle's heart.
Niza stared into his eyes and noticed the distant expression. "This is an interesting development."
She watched Gesham clasp the ring hanging upon a simple leather cord. His head bowed and glowing eyes closed. She watched him press the golden ring lingeringly to his lips. Niza gasped in horror as she saw two single tears fall from those eyes. "So, the Gargoyle has deeper feelings for Ashatsinu. It borders on blasphemy. This could be what I need to bring everything into its proper place."
A smile crossed her painted crimson lips. "Oh, Ashatsinu, how you will fall."
Four Seasons Later
The City of Eridu
The spacious throne room barely contained the large assembly gather for the celebration. Sitting in stands constructed specifically for the event, people gathered and observed the festivities and happenings. Towering, wide granite pillars rose over the masses. The rich intricate inlay of exotic marble and Kiarite refracted the streaming rays of moonlight bursting into the chamber. Symbols and hieroglyphics adorned the expertly crafted pillars depicting the epic tales of Isis and Osiris meeting and loving one another. Intricate carvings told the ancient tales of the great Celestial Dragon and her Children of Stone falling from the stars en masse millennia before the columns existed. One column narrated the tale of how Ptah, the deity of the Azazelites, and Skylaris found love beneath the stars. Another depicted the humanoid servants of the DeMahri, the Simianites, and both species' unions with the Daughters of Men. Rich tapestries bedecked the walls in rich vibrant splashes of scarlet and gold.
Yet, few took in the beauty of the Eriduite palace. All eyes focused intently upon the two combatants facing each other. Their faces hidden by masks, both stood in defensive positions ready for combat. One had many small, long braids extending the length of the dark Nubian back. The other wore long straight ebony hair that almost fell to the warrior's waist. Both held weapons in hands comparatively new to the city. In a metallic net sarong and scant chest armor, the bronze-skinned fighter remained posed for the oncoming attack.
The tall Nubian held sais in hand and became a blue of arms as the attack advanced. The clang of metal filled the great hall when the piercing weapons were blocked. The shorter, lighter-skinned warrior blocked that attack just above head height by crossing arms and sais in a classic block. The quillions curved upward from the hilt of the Nubian's sais and the bronzed-skin fighter used an upward push then a downward pull to bring the other's sais with in control. The Nubian gasped as the shorter warrior rotated both arms in opposite rotations. Their sais and arms became interlocked.
A strong muscular leg swept around catching the Nubian's ankles and caused the warrior to fall resoundingly upon the marble floor. The warrior's sais soared upwards toward the roof of the great hall. The lighter-skinned warrior's sais found their way to their sheaths and two small hands caught the Nubian's flying weapons before they clattered to the ground. A thunderous cheer of jubilation filled the great hall as the two's eyes never left one another. The shorter warrior tucked the Nubian's sais into her belt before extending her hand in aid to help the Nubian to her feet. Both warriors pushed back their masks and revealed their identities to the cheering spectators. The imposing Nubian was Zillah, captain of Eridu's elite city guard. Like she, many of her sister Amazons sought employment within the welcoming city. Eyes in the crowd fell to the shorter warrior. Ashatsinu, princess from the tribe of Kenan stood across from Zillah bathed in the glow of perspiration from a challenging spar.
"You have done well, Princess." Zillah's smile showed her booming pride for the young woman's skill. "I've taught you all that I can."
"You've been a good teacher, Captain." Ashatsinu agreed. She returned the sais in hand to her friend. "I hope that I will be a better person from all that you've shown me."
"Only time will tell." Both then turned and bowed deeply in unison before the crowd.
They had little time to bask in their glory before another Amazon approached the duo. Respectfully, she waited until the applause ended. Zillah turned to the Centurion under her command. "What is it, Izedi?"
"The King wishes to speak with Ashatsinu at once, Captain. He seeks audience with both of you."
"Tell his Majesty we shall do as he desires." Zillah turned to her friend. "You've caught many eyes upon your right of passage tonight."
"Now, I am just considered old and wizened at twenty-one seasons." Ashatsinu smirked. She nodded in the Monarch's direction. "We can't keep His Majesty waiting."
"No, it isn't wise."
They turned and strode in unison before the dais where the king sat and glanced down at them. Ashatsinu also followed protocol. She fell to one knee and knelt before the monarch. With arms crossed in an "x" against her chest, head bowed and eyes closed, the young princess remained still. Zillah brought her closed fist against her heart, hit her chest once and extended her fist in tribute to her monarch.
"Rise, Zillah, take your place at my flank and rest your feet. You have fought well on this night of Ashatsinu's right of passage and will share of my bounty this night. "
Zillah, mighty Amazon, bowed her head in submission. She answered humbly "Yes, My Liege. I am yours to command. We are honored by your presence and to entertain you."
"And that you did, Amazon." He chuckled.
"Rise, Ashatsinu from the land of the Amorites." Ashatsinu heard the King's address. She knew it was a great sign of respect when the king linked her name to her native lands. There was no mistaking the eminence of authority coming from the strapping young Monarch.
He extended his hand to Ashatsinu. "Come, sit and dine with me this night. We must discuss many things."
"As you wish, my Liege." The demure answer seemed the best response when dealing with a monarch who was barely a man. Ashatsinu guessed the king to be little more than seventeen or eighteen seasons old. Yet, it was legend that he had the wisdom of a man beyond his golden years. Dark eyes were lined in thick, black kohl as was the custom in his land. She thought him handsome as any of the men from her tribe. Yet, he shaved his face and head and the left side of his skull, laden with intricate indigo tattoos, denoted his Inhokomen's royal status. Like the other infidels of this land, he worshipped the like of Ptah, Anubis and Skylaris. "How may I be of service?"
"It is not you who can be of service to me." The young king warmly clasped her hand. "It is how may I be of service to you?
A maidservant bought the two monarch wine goblets and the King gave one to Ashatsinu. "I know that you are betrothed to Halmu of Sodom."
"Yes, Majesty, that is true." She gingerly sipped her wine from the golden goblet.
"I also know that there is no love between you."
"Again, true, Majesty." She let her eyes fall from his gaze and stare at the spirits in the goblet. "I was once told that people of royal lineage are not meant to know love."
"That is not necessarily true, Ashatsinu." The young man's voice softened to barely a whisper. As the festivities continued with dancing and feasting, the Princess noticed that it seemed as if only the king and she were the only ones in the room. Kohl-rimmed eyes revealed the depths of emotion reflected there. "You know that I love you. I know that your father made the alliance long ago with Halmu's father because he thought that your two tribes united would be all that would stand against the monsters that prey upon your people."
"You have a good memory, My Liege." She hated being reminded of life's harsh truth.
"I wish not to be your liege, my Ashatsinu." His smooth, uncallused hand gently cupped her chin. He tenderly guided her chin so that her eyes, once again, met his intent gaze. "My name is Imhokomen."
"Im-HO-Kaw-min." She sounded out the name slowly because she so rarely spoke it aloud.
"I ask you one last time to be my wife and to accept all my gifts."
"My Liege," When she addressed him by title, she saw his eyes narrow. She quickly amended the situation. "Inhokomen, I am truly touched by your generous offer, but I must do as is my destiny. Eventually, Utakku and his minions will touch even Eridu. My people are from Adam's loins. Your ancestors came from the heavens with Skylaris and her Children of stone. It is only a true Human king, not a Simianite bred by the DeMahri who can destroy Utakku and his lot. For that, I must marry Halmu."
"Then, I shall not ask again." The young King's short reply made Ashatsinu cringed as she heard the wounded notes of his voice. Her words were cutting, she knew, but true.
"I am sorry, Inhokomen." Regret laced her voice. "But the prophecy says that I must marry the Stone King. It was never my intention to cause you pain.
"Then I must tell you what I have learned this night, Princess, much to my dismay." He gave his wine goblet to the servant kneeling beside him. "I have received news of a grave nature. Your father has sent news. In his letter, he told me that it is time for you to return to your people. Halmu of Sodom wishes to announce your betrothal at a wedding feast within ten passings of the moon."
Ashatsinu felt the pain of four years threaten to bury her beneath a mountain of pressure. She slowly closed her eyes to block out the words, the sound, and the finality of Inhokomen's words. Yet, she had learned a harsh truth early in her life. The deep rich timbre of its speaker haunted her memories. "...Some are never meant to know love. Such is the way of things, Ashatsinu...."
"Then, the proper preparations must be made for my return to my father's tribe." She replied stoically.
"Because of his alliance with Halmu, your kind no longer wanders around in tents. They have laid claim to the oasis Ahm Shere and have built a remarkable city there in an incredibly short time." Inhokomen replied with subtle awe. "Preparations shall be made at once. We shall send you back to Ahm Shere with the wealth of a thousand queens."
"Inhokomen, I shall never be able to repay your kindness." She fought to keep those humiliating tears at bay.
"In all of this, I want you to find some happiness." His quiet voice soothed the despair welling within her. "And we have all heard the legends of the cruelty to those in Sodom."
A shudder coursed its way down Ashatsinu's spine. "I know."
"So, as part of your dowry, it is the King's responsibility to ensure your protection."
"My father shall provide many camels and cattle to Halmu."
"No, I shall make sure to provide for YOUR protection." His stern gaze left no room for dissention.
"Inhokomen, it isn't your responsibility-" She chose to argue anyway.
"Shhh." He pressed to tapered fingers to her lips. "When I came to your father's camp seasons ago after battle, it was a young tomboy I remember who did not fear me or my people because my ears are pointed and my brows arched. You brought my warriors water when your people cowered in fear because we were the DeMahri's creation rather than your All-Father's. You showed us kindness. Now, I shall repay that kindness in full. No more words about it, Princess."
Inhokomen abruptly clapped his hands twice. Izedi returned from nowhere with a richly carved wooden box in her hands. She knelt before the Monarch and he took the box from the Amazon. Ashatsinu stared at the darkly colored brown wooden box. She wondered if the wood might be mahogany or teak. "Open the box, Ashatsinu."
She careful placed her hands on the sides of the box and lifted the lid. Light gleamed across the metal contained against a field of dark blue velvet. Against the inside of the lid and lying inside the box was a sight that brought a broad smile to the young woman's face. Fingers callused from years of weapons handling traced along the cool metallic contours of the box's contents. "By the Dragon, Inhokomen! They are resplendent."
"Try them, Princess." He urged her with the enthusiasm of a child holding a new toy. "Try them."
Ashatsinu took the valuable gifts from their box. In each hand, she held two handcrafted sais. Each was a bit longer than her forearm and ornamented in gold, copper, and mithral. The quillions on each side of the hilt were an exact likeness of the neck and head of the DeMahri's dragon goddess. Against scales of gold, each head on the quillion held two amethyst eyes; amethyst was the sacred stone of Skylaris. Ashatsinu let her gaze trace a path to the bottom of each hilt. The ends of both hilts were designed like dragon's feet. When she examined one, she saw three claws surrounding an iridescent argent, ebony stone containing scintillating emerald and violet flecks. It reminded Ashatsinu of polished marble, yet it had a gloss to it more so than that particular stone.
"I don't recognize this particular stone, Inhokomen." Ashatsinu continued to study the lustrous raven-hued bijou. "It's breathtaking."
"A gift from my clan, Princess." A voice came from the entrance of the dining hall. Ashatsinu's whisper had been nearly silent, yet the canine ears half a room away caught them perfectly. With forest green wings cloaked about her and eyes twinkling, large taloned feet made their way across the scarlet rug laid over the marble floor.
"Arana!" The Princess' eyes gleamed with joy at the sight of her old friend. "You made it."
"And miss your Right-of-Passage?" A smile revealed fangs, canines and molars. "I wouldn't hear of it."
"Join us, Wise One." Inhokomen motioned to one of the nearby servants who quickly brought more pillows and placed them upon the edge of the dais.
"Thank you, Young One." Arana said with great mirth. She made herself comfortable as she sat down upon the pillows. "I don't mind if I do."
"Arana, it's been too long since I've seen you." Ashatsinu smiled. "Have you had a chance to hear the news?"
"I heard about it before you did and I'll tell you now that I think that this is madness. You won't save your people by marrying Halmu."
"What choice do I have?"
"He has an army that will sweep across this land and excise Utakku's filth from this place. That same army will ensure your tribe's slavery and my clan's destruction." Arana spat.
"I know he has no great love for the DeMahri, but surely he will honor the Oath of Promise that my people made with yours. I can convince him of that. He is the Stone King, you know. He may be harsh in battle, but it is said that he is fair and just -not malleable like clay. He is as resolute as the stone of Summer."
"Arana, your clan will always have a home in Eridu." Inhokomen solemnly pledged.
"I will not abandon the Humans of Amor." Arana's canine eyes turned to Ashatsinu. "If this one is an example of what is exceptional in your race, then it is the destiny of my clan to nurture that so that more will rise from your species' ranks."
"You have no great love for Humans." Inhokomen said roughly.
"I have great love for particular Humans." Arana's tail wrapped possessively around Ashatsinu's waist. "I never understood Human's concept of 'family' verses 'clan.' Yet, this young one is much like one of my own hatchlings. She only lacks wings and a tail. That's why it was exceedingly paramount that my clan participate in her dowry."
"Oh, yes!" The Princess exclaimed. "What are these amazing stones in the embedded in the hilts of the sais?"
"Those sparkling black and emerald-hued stones that have caught your eye, Princess, are not from this world." Arana's throaty voice compelled the Amazon, the Princess, and the King to lean closer to hear her enchanting tale. "The stone is from a distant place among the stars called Kiari. The natives of that land dance among the stars as we DeMahri fly beneath them. It is said that the Kiari came to this world with the DeMahri in search of a new home after Skylaris banished us from our homeland."
"Much like All-Father banished Adam and Eve from the Garden."
"Precisely." The Jackal-like head of the Dame nodded in agreement. "The Kiari are known to your kind as 'dark elves.' Many became the gods of these great lands. Humans assigned them such status and many of the Kiari were crafty enough to exploit it."
"So what does that have to do with these stones in the hilts of these sais?" Ashatsinu asked in quiet awe.
"The stones are from the Kiari homeland from the distant stars. Part of their land felt to earth in a fiery shower upon the Kiari and DeMahri's arrival. The stone is unbreakable. No iron shall cut it and no hammer can shatter it. No fire can scorch it and no DeMahri talons can scratch it. Ptah of the Azazelites is the only one able to manipulate it in his apothecary. It is said that any warrior who has possession of such a stone is invincible. On rare occasions, Ptah bestows outstanding DeMahri warriors with the Kiss of Stone. That allows them to became Kiarite by day. Than means that they can never be shattered by normal weaponry."
"Ri-i-i-ght." Ashatsinu raised her brows in pure skepticism. "If that were the case, then you wouldn't need the tribe of Kenan or the Oath of Promise."
"Let me tell you something, Princess, before you dismiss that little bit of legend and lore as pure bunk." She heard anger rising in the Dame's voice. "He is known as Zendrazane amongst my people."
"Skylaris' consort?" Ashatsinu asked.
"The same." Arana nodded. "He is real and he exists. He resides in a place far from here, but he is devout in the protection of the Children of Stone. They are of his blood as you are of Adam's. His oldest daughter humbled herself and beseeched for the gift of Kiarite that graces the hilts of the sais. Please don't be so ignorant as to dismiss their true worth and value to you."
"I meant no offense, Arana. I simply didn't realize the depth of sentiment that these stones or the legend would inspire in the DeMahri."
"My father gave those to me and the designs for the weapons you hold in your hands." She stared at the sais. "Ten seasons prior, no such weapons existed. Knowing your tribe's aversion to women and bladed weaponry, I asked him to design a weapon resembling a Gargoyle's talons without a blade and he came up with his grandest creations thus far. You hold them in your hands and intellect within those sacred weapons shall instruct you in their mastery. He taught the Amazons and then charged them to teach you."
"Are you saying that these weapons can think?" Ashatsinu sheer wonder hushed her words. "How can that be?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying, Your Highness. DeMahri weaponry also bears the mark of its creator and a sentience worthy of their wielder." Arana allowed one jade talon to trace a path down the sleek design of one of the sai's blades. "When you prove yourself worthy, they shall became part of your deepest psyche; they shall irrevocably bond to you body and soul, Ashatsinu. When a worthy warrior's blood spills upon them in righteous battle, they blood bond to their possessor for the rest of her natural life. What this means is that these Magickal blades will protect you for as long as you breathe and walk the face of this world."
"Why me?" Ashatsinu somehow found the bravery and spoke. "Why will they not bond to a DeMahri warrior?"
"You are much more than you see, Princess, and only Skylaris knows whatever reasons answer your questions. Perchance, someday she will share them with you."
"Then, I can only accept such a gift with utter humility."
"Good." Arana pressed her canine brow in affection to that of the young Human. "It's about time you developed some. I have grown to love you as one of my own hatchlings. As long as you keep these with you, no mortal weapon can do you harm. Zillah has instructed you well in their handling and use. They were crafted by the finest Amazon's serving under Ptah. The Runes of the DeMahri are engraved upon the hilt and the metal bars. Dragon Magick shall always be with you, even if I can not."
"I don't know what to say except 'Thank you."
"That is all that needs to be said." Arana's gleaming crimson eyes dimmed to a shimmering silver. "Inhokomen donated the precious metals from his treasury. He is Simianite to the core, and truly one worthy of trust."
"I try." He chuckled.
"Just one question, Arana." Ashatsinu cocked her head in curiosity toward the aged Dame. "I thought that rumor had it that you were the daughter of Anubis."
"It's just a rumor. Besides, he's far more ominous than a gentle soul like Ptah."
"True." The Princess agreed. "But, why not just call him by his true name?"
"Zendrazane, yes." Arana cocked her head to the side in deep thought. "There is much that your kind aren't ready to learn, Ashatsinu. Humans have a very narrow scope of life. They would lose their battle knowing how great the odds are against them."
To be continued........
Please send all flames, praise, commentary and questions to Denigoddess2001yahoo.com
Author: Denigoddess2001
Addy: Denigoddess2001yahoo.com
Fandom: Gargoyles
Saga: The Sentinels of Midnight
Episode: The Stone King II
Rating: PG-13
Date: May 03, 2004
The Stone King II
Ashatsinu still felt anxious with the subterfuge cunningly implemented by her guardian and the clan's elder. The princess felt even more beset with trepidation as she studied the fiendish creature walking by her side. Fable declared that the Tribe of Azazel worshipped not the One True All-Father, but a pantheon of infernal immortals with the bodies of men and the heads and features of wild beasts. Around the campfires at night, Ashatsinu had heard the appalling tales of how the Tribe of Azazel sacrificed its own members in times of trouble in return for favor from their many gods. All-Father's teachings forbade the spilling of Human blood for atonement of one's transgressions. Old wives' tales found their way to her ears that the Azazelite gods belonged also to the western tribes of Akkadia and the Nile, far beyond Utakku's dominance. Names such as Isis, Set, Bastet, and Anubis found their way into the conversations of her tribe's bravest warriors. Now, beside her, A DeMahri shamaness resembling the Azazelite god of the dead, kept her company. The harrowing thought brought Ashatsinu little comfort.
She pondered all of this without keeping her gaze on Arana. Dark, frightened whispers in her father's tribe hinted that some other bloodlines besides Gargoyle flowed through Arana's veins. Rumor alleged Arana had lived since Adam's time and perchance was the consequence of a mating between some nameless Gargoyle and the Azazelite deity called Anubis. [How else would she have such incredible abilities? She is more than a seer. I have heard in my father's tent that Arana is a true sorceress with powers inborn and not merely learned. How can I trust her to keep me safe? Could she be in league with Utakku?]
She ruthlessly pushed the doubtful thoughts aside and forced her mind to focus upon the upcoming journey. Ashatsinu shifted her pack easily onto one shoulder. The young princes carried little but her traveling cloak, her cherished bow, arrows and quiver, and a few keepsakes from home. The Dame had instructed her to travel light.
The young woman breathed in deeply and absorbed the fresh, clean scents of the desert night. Her camel-skin boots kept the fine, warm sand from her feet. She felt constrained with their soft confines. Many nights, Ashatsinu had run barefoot upon the shifting dunes while Gesham glided overhead on patrol. She knew the terrain well and knew her chances of survival ranked high. Still, it worried the young warrior that she traveled on foot at night with an aged warrior. Many of Ashatsinu's kind had fallen into fatal folly when they dared traveled at night. Most became easy prey for Utakku's minions as food or slaves. She wished not to join their undead ranks.
"Trouble clouds your mind, Princess." Arana wrapped her weathered wings around her statuesque form. Her tail twitched as she seeming hovered just above the sand. Ashatsinu shivered when she caught the canine profile illuminated in the moonlight. The Dame's head was unmistakably one of a jackal, the very thought sent chills of sheer horror through the young woman. She silently prayed to All-Father that Arana was friend rather than foe.
"We're placing ourselves in harm's way by traveling without an escort. It's madness to travel like this at night in the desert."
"We avoid the eyes that look for you, Princess." Arana's low voice seemed to carry the hint of a growl. It sounded as rough as the sand scuffling beneath Ashatsinu's boot heels. "The Soulless Ones have already heard of your father's plans to send you by caravan to Ur. It would be their plan to swoop down on the caravan, raid its wealth, drink everyone's blood and leave the corpses to ripen in the desert sun."
"We could make if we traveled by day."
"If the heat and the scorpions didn't make a good lunch of you first." Arana's taloned hand motioned to herself. "Child, I am stone by day. I'd be no use to you then."
"True." Ashatsinu grudgingly agreed with the sound argument. "Still, Father is going to be livid when he finds out that I'm not joining my sister in her husband's harem in Ur. He wants me to learn the feminine arts."
"Child," The beldam laid a taloned hand upon the young woman's shoulder. "There is more to being a woman than cooking, cleaning, and copulation. Your talents would be wasted and such an education reduces you to being little more than Halmu's concubine. Kenan entrusted your protection and education to Gresham. Have faith that Gresham will do right by you."
"He is simply sending me away and washing his wings of me." The Princess muttered bitterly.
"You speak harshly of one you claim to love so much." The scalding chide from Arana caused Ashatsinu's words to abruptly cease.
"Gesham desires a fate for me that is not mine." An undignified snort escaped the Princess.
"More than you know." Ashatsinu shivered when she saw Arana's cryptic smirk. "Remember, that he also wants what is best for all, including you, Your Highness."
"I believe that fate is for those who resign themselves to it." The young warrior cast her dark eyes upon the moon above them. "Destiny is to what we aspire. It results from the choices made and their consequences. However, the DeMahri, especially Gesham, cannot see that. He can only see stone or sand, black or white. He can't see all the other marvelous choices in between the two extremes."
"Ah, youth is wasted on the young." A strong, stalwart tail snaked around Ashatsinu's slender waist, pulling her close to the mystical Dame. "Princess, there are those who wish you dead. The runes have revealed some things to me, but not all. There are only two choices: either we delude Utakku and his minions' -or we all die. Those choices are blatantly simple."
"How about that we travel to Utakku's city during the day and burn them to a crisp?"
Canine ears perked up with acute attentiveness, Arana stopped in her hovering and glanced around her. Her nose twitched several times as she tested the air for various scents. "Draw your bow."
Ashatsinu knew better than to question the Dame's good instincts. Without protest, two arrows the young woman cocked two arrows against the taut bowstring. Arana's voice rang inside the Princess' mind. [Someone or something is following us. Stay close.]
Silence met Ashatsinu's human ears as she strained to hear the sounds of the night. Only the sand of sand blowing in the breeze greeted her. She nodded quickly in understanding as her eyes scanned the perimeter around them. Brown eyes widened as she watched four forms speeding over the dunes on the vista. She returned her gaze to the Dame stock-still and body pointed in the direction of the on comers. [Arana, only Soulless Ones and DeMahri take to the skies.]
Ashatsinu's tongue felt dry and swollen in her mouth as fear drained her of moisture. She quickly and silently slipped her pack from her shoulder and onto the ground. With a dull thud, it landed beside her in the sand. Crouching, she visually scouted the area for their hidden hunters.
[We remain unseen by their eyes. Thank the gods.] The princess took note of Arana's mental sigh of relief. The Dame's tail quickly swished away sand so that a small trench was between them. [Do you know of the DeMahri trick of the Stone Butterfly?]
Ashatsinu immediately nodded. The Sand Butterfly was a classic trick used in DeMahri sand-fighting. She watched as with a few flutters of wing and a few slashes of Arana's tail quickly dug a shallow trench deep and wide enough to hold the two females. Gesham had taught her the tactic well. She drew two more arrows from her quiver and held them fast in her hand. Without further instruction, with bow drawn and arrows ready, she lay down on her back in the trench dug by Arana. Over the Dame's shoulder, the Princess spotted the forms swiftly approaching. [Elder, they are getting closer.]
[So they are, Child, so they are.] Arana uncloaked her dark jade wings and covered Ashatsinu's body from brow to foot. Words rumbled in the ancient tongue of the Kah'El as Gargoyle eyes gleamed scarlet rather than silver. "Bel'lai, Menash She Seh'dai."
Pillar of sand shot up like geysers and fell upon the duo as a desert rain covering them both beneath several inches of desert. [Make not a sound, Ashatsinu, if you wish us to live.]
Lying beneath the canopy of Arana's wings, she wondered what the Dame had next in mind. Answers to her questions came quickly as she watched emerald eyes gleam with white-hot light that revealed that Arana's mindset was moving into battle mode. The brilliant radiance gave way to a vermilion gleam that reminded Ashatsinu of glowing hot embers from the Blacksmith's forge. An inhuman growl rumbled deep within Arana's chest. "Dei'Eh'Mi Errrrrrrlllll. Cacchhhhheerrrrrl."
To the average human, the phrase sounded nothing more than a feral snarl made by wild dog. Nevertheless, Ashatsinu recognized a few fragments. "Day-Eh-My" was a phrase she recognized from her patrols with Gesham. It was the name of his clan's beloved guardian beasts meaning, "Winding Wind."
A feminine voice cut with alarming clarity through the sand above them. "I smell blood, Ari. I smell fresh, virgin blood. It's so close."
Ashatsinu gulped.
[Battle well.] Arana's voice addressed her in the greeting that the DeMahri used arrival and departure from one another.
Or die.
"Be Free." Ashatsinu returned the greeting in the few syllables of Draconic she knew. [By All-Father, what does Arana have in mind!?]
In the distance, a haunting preternatural moan met her ears. She heard the gusting gales of wind nearby and knew that Arana had summoned the elements, perhaps even conjured a sand cyclone. Such winds could whisk away a dozen camels or bury a regiment in a league of sand beneath the desert. Then, a cacophonous roar blasted through the stillness. The strident bellow resembled the sound of ten thousand wrathful DeMahri warriors gliding into battle.
"By Katoramet, what is going on?!" The same feminine voice called out. "This is no accident."
The winding sirocco dancing across the dunes in haled the desert sands. A violent, unexpected gust of wind ripped away sheltering sands of the desert. Arana spread her wings their entire span and let the gale flow into their billowing folds. The back draft following the tempest caught Arana's unfurled wingspan and drew her nearly a hundred cubits away. Ashatsinu watched in wordless awe as the Dame quickly mastered the currents flowing beneath her wings and swiftly faced her adversary. Arana was a terrifying shadow against the light of the full golden moon. Chiropteran wings unfurled resembled those of the Hittite flesh-eating fiends that Ashatsinu had heard about in campfire tales as a child. The canine profile of her head gave Arana the uncanny persona of a desert deity.
One of Utakku's minions screeched in fury and dove quickly toward the Dame. Somewhere another cam in from the back and simultaneously tackled her. Arana's jade talons slashed through the sand and the night to burrow deep within the front one's chest. A strident bellow or rage escaped the warrior as the three combatants tumbled into a downward spiral into the preternatural vortex cycling beneath them.
Ashatsinu watched the cyclone's rotating maw swallow their three assailants. She had little time to mourn her guardian as she saw two more sycophants ascend over the horizon. With cold, calculating purpose she cocked an arrow into place against the bowstring. The bow creaked as Princess drew back the taut string. Index finger and thumb carefully kept the first arrow in place. Her brow furrowed in ruthless determination and let the arrow fly. It sliced a path straight and true through the blowing sand and the darkness. Her dark eyes met with the fast-approaching fiend. Its grim snarl reminded Ashatsinu of a twisted smile as the arrow found its mark and embedded deeply within the creature's chest. The smug look of victory changed to one of surprise as the creature glanced down to see the wooden projectile buried deeply within its torso. Its eyes widened with pain, surprise and fury as its hand desperately reached to pull the shaft from its bosom. It never had a chance to finish its infuriated scream as it's body burst into flame and exploded in a cloud of dusty ash and glowing cinders.
"Go to Sheol and stay there." She uttered the curse with glee.
A wild, feral screech filled the air as Arana and her vampire came tumbling from the whirlwind, wing over arm over leg over tail. Ashatsinu focused her attention on the two approaching foes.
She brought two dove-tipped arrows into place and cocked them into the bowstring. She used one's glowing golden gaze as her and let her arrows fly. A screeching hiss answered the slicing sound of the arrow entrenched in the vampire's chest. It's sudden combustion filled the entire night sky into a candant display of blazing flame.
"Oh, you are good, Young One." A voice whispered from behind her. "And it's a shame you're going to die in the zenith of your youth."
Ashatsinu remained motionless as the acrid stench of blood came closer to her. She fought the urge to run and to retch. She felt death standing within half a cubit of her. "I haven't had such innocent blood in quite some time."
Ashatsinu's hands grasped the bridge of the bow. She closed her eyes and pressed the thoughts of regret from her thoughts. She realized she would never know the love of the one who held her heart. [I will not die as a coward. I will die well.] She felt a frigid touch upon her skin without hands to accompany it. Someone....something caused her head to bend and expose her neck. Two scalding tears escaped the Princess' eye as she prepared for the bite.
She poured her brawn into her grasp as she shoved the bow backwards into her unsuspecting killer. The ironwood of the bow sank into the rib cage of her personal demon. In a pivot of Gesham's design, she turned, faced her enemy and drove forward with her bow. Ashatsinu looked into the amber eyes of her attacker with a blend of rage and bewilderment.
She saw the yellow eyes glance down were the pointed end of the bow lie buried within the vampire's chest. Then, she felt a fiery heat scorch her skin as the creature fulminated into a burst of soot, ash and sparks.
"Arana!" She remembered the Dame's plight. Ashatsinu ran to the area where she had last seen her comrade fall. "Arana. Arana? ARANA?"
One moment passed and then two.
"Menash Kah, you stupid hag!" Ashatsinu cursed the Dame in a glorious expletive of Draconic and her Tribe's tongue. "Where are you?"
Her curse turned into a scream when a power force wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the sand. Four sand-covered green talons covered the princess' mouth. "Child, your screech is enough to wake the dead."
"Harrumph." Ashatsinu screamed against the muting hand. Arana slowly pulled it away. "Or the undead."
"Point taken." The Dame scanned the landscape in Ashatsinu's direction. She nodded to the piles of ash upon the sand. "Not bad for a neophyte, Your Highness."
"Not bad!?" Ashatsinu's jaw nearly shoveled a load of sand as it dropped. "I killed two...no three - Soulless Ones with nothing more than good aim and a clear head. Try, 'well done."
"Any DeMahri warrior can take on five of those creatures with ease." Arana's scoff added more bruising to the young woman's battered ego. "But for a Human to kill one, let alone two, it shows you have potential."
"Coming from you, I'll assume that's a compliment." The princess made little attempt to hide the sarcasm charging her words with defiant energy.
"Merely a statement of fact." Arana said briskly. "Oh, and Princess?"
"Yes, O Great One?"
"You will most certainly be learning the feminine arts as Gesham requested."
"You can tell I'm overjoyed." Brown eyes rolled in disdain.
"From Eridu's City Guard." Arana's dark green eyes flashed crimson.
The bow fell to the sand. A pause hung between the two females as Ashatsinu tried to understand what Ashatsinu had just told her. "What did you say?"
"The Amazons from the surrounding lands of Eridu comprise the elite city guard that protects the city from invaders. A commission awaits you in the Guard's ranks once we arrive. What your father doesn't know won't hurt either of us. You WILL learn singing, dancing, cooking, weaving and domestic administration as is befitting a woman of your station. You'll also be learning, let us say, various other skills paramount in a young Princess's education."
"Arana, thank you!" Ashatsinu impulsively embraced the aged warrior. "I knew Gesham wouldn't let me down."
"Just don't let Gesham down." The dame gravely replied. "You will have need of those skills to protect your people. The road ahead of you is a perilous one. Take those lessons you will be learning to heart, Ashatsinu. For those lessons will be all that can save you."
"I'll never let him down." And for the rest of the journey, Ashatsinu knew peace.
Niza, with growing glee, watched the ongoing battle from her silver scrying bowl. The waters from within the large rippled gently, revealing the blowing sands and the two females fighting against their nocturnal nemeses. The sorceress dropped two sparkling amethyst gems into the enchanted pool so that all conversation was audible. She watched in muted rage as her younger sibling converted her ironwood bow into a makeshift stake. Niza's frustrated shriek became shrill as she watched two of Utakku's best hunters fall prey to the bothersome females.
"By Tiamat! No mere Human can kill one of the Soulless, let alone two! What dark Magick does my sister use!?" Niza leaned to her left and grabbed a clay jar painted with the design of a great serpent. She lifted the lid and let her henna-painted hand dip into a course ground powder. "Let me see through a minion's eyes to see what dark Magick my sisters uses. Show me how to defeat her."
Niza threw the handful of dust into the crystalline pool of water. It hissed and sizzled as the silt made contact with the enchanted waters of the scrying pool. The cracking liquid lay buried beneath a layer of lavender flame and acrid amethyst smoke rose from the basin like a slow-burning fire. It swirled and danced in a thick wall extending several cubits into the air and hovering only a few inches from the water. The eddying streams of gray smoke framed a vision that enthralled and confounded the resplendent auger into a dither of pristine fury. As a raptor focuses it's concentration upon unsuspecting prey, so did the clarity of the divination converge upon the young desert combatant.
"Show me what no one else knows." She beckoned the dark powers of Tiamat.
Against bronzed skin, the perimeter of Ashatsinu's anomalous birthmark illuminated the vision with a brilliant verdigris light. Niza leaned forward and traced the projected image in midair languidly with her index finger. She recognized the symbol for Skylaris, DeMahri goddess of the stars and cosmos. She also knew that the meddlesome deity changed the leylines of fate is it so amused her. "So, the dragon lady has taken an interest in my sister."
"Ashatsinu is pampered by our senile father and yet he doesn't appreciate the service I've given him. Instead of promising me to Halmu, he gives that unsightly little hellion to him. Halmu is mine by right. She never appreciates his gifts or his attentions. Instead, she wants to run like a heathen at night with those accursed stone golems. And now, the wench gleams the favor of a goddess." Niza's ranting filled the entirety of her tent. "Well, Ashatsinu, you have robbed me of Kenan's favor and any hope of ever being Halmu's rightful queen. But, that WILL change. I promise you."
Niza's eyes widened as the vision continually unfolded before her. She recognized the soft cream folds connecting tawny struts of chiropteran wings. A luxuriant long mane brightened flaxen by the desert son fell down broad shoulders. A gasp of unexpected delight escaped the augur as she watched tawny wings fold around the undeniably masculine figure. She watched the spade of his tale flick incessantly back and forth in a ceaseless, agile tempo. She watched the agitated Sire pace a trench along the stone walls of the tribe's encampment. Amber eyes gleamed with a golden glow in Niza's vision and they seemingly met her gaze. She saw something flash around his neck in the moonlight.
"Ashatsinu's signet ring."
It hung next to the Gargoyle's heart.
Niza stared into his eyes and noticed the distant expression. "This is an interesting development."
She watched Gesham clasp the ring hanging upon a simple leather cord. His head bowed and glowing eyes closed. She watched him press the golden ring lingeringly to his lips. Niza gasped in horror as she saw two single tears fall from those eyes. "So, the Gargoyle has deeper feelings for Ashatsinu. It borders on blasphemy. This could be what I need to bring everything into its proper place."
A smile crossed her painted crimson lips. "Oh, Ashatsinu, how you will fall."
Four Seasons Later
The City of Eridu
The spacious throne room barely contained the large assembly gather for the celebration. Sitting in stands constructed specifically for the event, people gathered and observed the festivities and happenings. Towering, wide granite pillars rose over the masses. The rich intricate inlay of exotic marble and Kiarite refracted the streaming rays of moonlight bursting into the chamber. Symbols and hieroglyphics adorned the expertly crafted pillars depicting the epic tales of Isis and Osiris meeting and loving one another. Intricate carvings told the ancient tales of the great Celestial Dragon and her Children of Stone falling from the stars en masse millennia before the columns existed. One column narrated the tale of how Ptah, the deity of the Azazelites, and Skylaris found love beneath the stars. Another depicted the humanoid servants of the DeMahri, the Simianites, and both species' unions with the Daughters of Men. Rich tapestries bedecked the walls in rich vibrant splashes of scarlet and gold.
Yet, few took in the beauty of the Eriduite palace. All eyes focused intently upon the two combatants facing each other. Their faces hidden by masks, both stood in defensive positions ready for combat. One had many small, long braids extending the length of the dark Nubian back. The other wore long straight ebony hair that almost fell to the warrior's waist. Both held weapons in hands comparatively new to the city. In a metallic net sarong and scant chest armor, the bronze-skinned fighter remained posed for the oncoming attack.
The tall Nubian held sais in hand and became a blue of arms as the attack advanced. The clang of metal filled the great hall when the piercing weapons were blocked. The shorter, lighter-skinned warrior blocked that attack just above head height by crossing arms and sais in a classic block. The quillions curved upward from the hilt of the Nubian's sais and the bronzed-skin fighter used an upward push then a downward pull to bring the other's sais with in control. The Nubian gasped as the shorter warrior rotated both arms in opposite rotations. Their sais and arms became interlocked.
A strong muscular leg swept around catching the Nubian's ankles and caused the warrior to fall resoundingly upon the marble floor. The warrior's sais soared upwards toward the roof of the great hall. The lighter-skinned warrior's sais found their way to their sheaths and two small hands caught the Nubian's flying weapons before they clattered to the ground. A thunderous cheer of jubilation filled the great hall as the two's eyes never left one another. The shorter warrior tucked the Nubian's sais into her belt before extending her hand in aid to help the Nubian to her feet. Both warriors pushed back their masks and revealed their identities to the cheering spectators. The imposing Nubian was Zillah, captain of Eridu's elite city guard. Like she, many of her sister Amazons sought employment within the welcoming city. Eyes in the crowd fell to the shorter warrior. Ashatsinu, princess from the tribe of Kenan stood across from Zillah bathed in the glow of perspiration from a challenging spar.
"You have done well, Princess." Zillah's smile showed her booming pride for the young woman's skill. "I've taught you all that I can."
"You've been a good teacher, Captain." Ashatsinu agreed. She returned the sais in hand to her friend. "I hope that I will be a better person from all that you've shown me."
"Only time will tell." Both then turned and bowed deeply in unison before the crowd.
They had little time to bask in their glory before another Amazon approached the duo. Respectfully, she waited until the applause ended. Zillah turned to the Centurion under her command. "What is it, Izedi?"
"The King wishes to speak with Ashatsinu at once, Captain. He seeks audience with both of you."
"Tell his Majesty we shall do as he desires." Zillah turned to her friend. "You've caught many eyes upon your right of passage tonight."
"Now, I am just considered old and wizened at twenty-one seasons." Ashatsinu smirked. She nodded in the Monarch's direction. "We can't keep His Majesty waiting."
"No, it isn't wise."
They turned and strode in unison before the dais where the king sat and glanced down at them. Ashatsinu also followed protocol. She fell to one knee and knelt before the monarch. With arms crossed in an "x" against her chest, head bowed and eyes closed, the young princess remained still. Zillah brought her closed fist against her heart, hit her chest once and extended her fist in tribute to her monarch.
"Rise, Zillah, take your place at my flank and rest your feet. You have fought well on this night of Ashatsinu's right of passage and will share of my bounty this night. "
Zillah, mighty Amazon, bowed her head in submission. She answered humbly "Yes, My Liege. I am yours to command. We are honored by your presence and to entertain you."
"And that you did, Amazon." He chuckled.
"Rise, Ashatsinu from the land of the Amorites." Ashatsinu heard the King's address. She knew it was a great sign of respect when the king linked her name to her native lands. There was no mistaking the eminence of authority coming from the strapping young Monarch.
He extended his hand to Ashatsinu. "Come, sit and dine with me this night. We must discuss many things."
"As you wish, my Liege." The demure answer seemed the best response when dealing with a monarch who was barely a man. Ashatsinu guessed the king to be little more than seventeen or eighteen seasons old. Yet, it was legend that he had the wisdom of a man beyond his golden years. Dark eyes were lined in thick, black kohl as was the custom in his land. She thought him handsome as any of the men from her tribe. Yet, he shaved his face and head and the left side of his skull, laden with intricate indigo tattoos, denoted his Inhokomen's royal status. Like the other infidels of this land, he worshipped the like of Ptah, Anubis and Skylaris. "How may I be of service?"
"It is not you who can be of service to me." The young king warmly clasped her hand. "It is how may I be of service to you?
A maidservant bought the two monarch wine goblets and the King gave one to Ashatsinu. "I know that you are betrothed to Halmu of Sodom."
"Yes, Majesty, that is true." She gingerly sipped her wine from the golden goblet.
"I also know that there is no love between you."
"Again, true, Majesty." She let her eyes fall from his gaze and stare at the spirits in the goblet. "I was once told that people of royal lineage are not meant to know love."
"That is not necessarily true, Ashatsinu." The young man's voice softened to barely a whisper. As the festivities continued with dancing and feasting, the Princess noticed that it seemed as if only the king and she were the only ones in the room. Kohl-rimmed eyes revealed the depths of emotion reflected there. "You know that I love you. I know that your father made the alliance long ago with Halmu's father because he thought that your two tribes united would be all that would stand against the monsters that prey upon your people."
"You have a good memory, My Liege." She hated being reminded of life's harsh truth.
"I wish not to be your liege, my Ashatsinu." His smooth, uncallused hand gently cupped her chin. He tenderly guided her chin so that her eyes, once again, met his intent gaze. "My name is Imhokomen."
"Im-HO-Kaw-min." She sounded out the name slowly because she so rarely spoke it aloud.
"I ask you one last time to be my wife and to accept all my gifts."
"My Liege," When she addressed him by title, she saw his eyes narrow. She quickly amended the situation. "Inhokomen, I am truly touched by your generous offer, but I must do as is my destiny. Eventually, Utakku and his minions will touch even Eridu. My people are from Adam's loins. Your ancestors came from the heavens with Skylaris and her Children of stone. It is only a true Human king, not a Simianite bred by the DeMahri who can destroy Utakku and his lot. For that, I must marry Halmu."
"Then, I shall not ask again." The young King's short reply made Ashatsinu cringed as she heard the wounded notes of his voice. Her words were cutting, she knew, but true.
"I am sorry, Inhokomen." Regret laced her voice. "But the prophecy says that I must marry the Stone King. It was never my intention to cause you pain.
"Then I must tell you what I have learned this night, Princess, much to my dismay." He gave his wine goblet to the servant kneeling beside him. "I have received news of a grave nature. Your father has sent news. In his letter, he told me that it is time for you to return to your people. Halmu of Sodom wishes to announce your betrothal at a wedding feast within ten passings of the moon."
Ashatsinu felt the pain of four years threaten to bury her beneath a mountain of pressure. She slowly closed her eyes to block out the words, the sound, and the finality of Inhokomen's words. Yet, she had learned a harsh truth early in her life. The deep rich timbre of its speaker haunted her memories. "...Some are never meant to know love. Such is the way of things, Ashatsinu...."
"Then, the proper preparations must be made for my return to my father's tribe." She replied stoically.
"Because of his alliance with Halmu, your kind no longer wanders around in tents. They have laid claim to the oasis Ahm Shere and have built a remarkable city there in an incredibly short time." Inhokomen replied with subtle awe. "Preparations shall be made at once. We shall send you back to Ahm Shere with the wealth of a thousand queens."
"Inhokomen, I shall never be able to repay your kindness." She fought to keep those humiliating tears at bay.
"In all of this, I want you to find some happiness." His quiet voice soothed the despair welling within her. "And we have all heard the legends of the cruelty to those in Sodom."
A shudder coursed its way down Ashatsinu's spine. "I know."
"So, as part of your dowry, it is the King's responsibility to ensure your protection."
"My father shall provide many camels and cattle to Halmu."
"No, I shall make sure to provide for YOUR protection." His stern gaze left no room for dissention.
"Inhokomen, it isn't your responsibility-" She chose to argue anyway.
"Shhh." He pressed to tapered fingers to her lips. "When I came to your father's camp seasons ago after battle, it was a young tomboy I remember who did not fear me or my people because my ears are pointed and my brows arched. You brought my warriors water when your people cowered in fear because we were the DeMahri's creation rather than your All-Father's. You showed us kindness. Now, I shall repay that kindness in full. No more words about it, Princess."
Inhokomen abruptly clapped his hands twice. Izedi returned from nowhere with a richly carved wooden box in her hands. She knelt before the Monarch and he took the box from the Amazon. Ashatsinu stared at the darkly colored brown wooden box. She wondered if the wood might be mahogany or teak. "Open the box, Ashatsinu."
She careful placed her hands on the sides of the box and lifted the lid. Light gleamed across the metal contained against a field of dark blue velvet. Against the inside of the lid and lying inside the box was a sight that brought a broad smile to the young woman's face. Fingers callused from years of weapons handling traced along the cool metallic contours of the box's contents. "By the Dragon, Inhokomen! They are resplendent."
"Try them, Princess." He urged her with the enthusiasm of a child holding a new toy. "Try them."
Ashatsinu took the valuable gifts from their box. In each hand, she held two handcrafted sais. Each was a bit longer than her forearm and ornamented in gold, copper, and mithral. The quillions on each side of the hilt were an exact likeness of the neck and head of the DeMahri's dragon goddess. Against scales of gold, each head on the quillion held two amethyst eyes; amethyst was the sacred stone of Skylaris. Ashatsinu let her gaze trace a path to the bottom of each hilt. The ends of both hilts were designed like dragon's feet. When she examined one, she saw three claws surrounding an iridescent argent, ebony stone containing scintillating emerald and violet flecks. It reminded Ashatsinu of polished marble, yet it had a gloss to it more so than that particular stone.
"I don't recognize this particular stone, Inhokomen." Ashatsinu continued to study the lustrous raven-hued bijou. "It's breathtaking."
"A gift from my clan, Princess." A voice came from the entrance of the dining hall. Ashatsinu's whisper had been nearly silent, yet the canine ears half a room away caught them perfectly. With forest green wings cloaked about her and eyes twinkling, large taloned feet made their way across the scarlet rug laid over the marble floor.
"Arana!" The Princess' eyes gleamed with joy at the sight of her old friend. "You made it."
"And miss your Right-of-Passage?" A smile revealed fangs, canines and molars. "I wouldn't hear of it."
"Join us, Wise One." Inhokomen motioned to one of the nearby servants who quickly brought more pillows and placed them upon the edge of the dais.
"Thank you, Young One." Arana said with great mirth. She made herself comfortable as she sat down upon the pillows. "I don't mind if I do."
"Arana, it's been too long since I've seen you." Ashatsinu smiled. "Have you had a chance to hear the news?"
"I heard about it before you did and I'll tell you now that I think that this is madness. You won't save your people by marrying Halmu."
"What choice do I have?"
"He has an army that will sweep across this land and excise Utakku's filth from this place. That same army will ensure your tribe's slavery and my clan's destruction." Arana spat.
"I know he has no great love for the DeMahri, but surely he will honor the Oath of Promise that my people made with yours. I can convince him of that. He is the Stone King, you know. He may be harsh in battle, but it is said that he is fair and just -not malleable like clay. He is as resolute as the stone of Summer."
"Arana, your clan will always have a home in Eridu." Inhokomen solemnly pledged.
"I will not abandon the Humans of Amor." Arana's canine eyes turned to Ashatsinu. "If this one is an example of what is exceptional in your race, then it is the destiny of my clan to nurture that so that more will rise from your species' ranks."
"You have no great love for Humans." Inhokomen said roughly.
"I have great love for particular Humans." Arana's tail wrapped possessively around Ashatsinu's waist. "I never understood Human's concept of 'family' verses 'clan.' Yet, this young one is much like one of my own hatchlings. She only lacks wings and a tail. That's why it was exceedingly paramount that my clan participate in her dowry."
"Oh, yes!" The Princess exclaimed. "What are these amazing stones in the embedded in the hilts of the sais?"
"Those sparkling black and emerald-hued stones that have caught your eye, Princess, are not from this world." Arana's throaty voice compelled the Amazon, the Princess, and the King to lean closer to hear her enchanting tale. "The stone is from a distant place among the stars called Kiari. The natives of that land dance among the stars as we DeMahri fly beneath them. It is said that the Kiari came to this world with the DeMahri in search of a new home after Skylaris banished us from our homeland."
"Much like All-Father banished Adam and Eve from the Garden."
"Precisely." The Jackal-like head of the Dame nodded in agreement. "The Kiari are known to your kind as 'dark elves.' Many became the gods of these great lands. Humans assigned them such status and many of the Kiari were crafty enough to exploit it."
"So what does that have to do with these stones in the hilts of these sais?" Ashatsinu asked in quiet awe.
"The stones are from the Kiari homeland from the distant stars. Part of their land felt to earth in a fiery shower upon the Kiari and DeMahri's arrival. The stone is unbreakable. No iron shall cut it and no hammer can shatter it. No fire can scorch it and no DeMahri talons can scratch it. Ptah of the Azazelites is the only one able to manipulate it in his apothecary. It is said that any warrior who has possession of such a stone is invincible. On rare occasions, Ptah bestows outstanding DeMahri warriors with the Kiss of Stone. That allows them to became Kiarite by day. Than means that they can never be shattered by normal weaponry."
"Ri-i-i-ght." Ashatsinu raised her brows in pure skepticism. "If that were the case, then you wouldn't need the tribe of Kenan or the Oath of Promise."
"Let me tell you something, Princess, before you dismiss that little bit of legend and lore as pure bunk." She heard anger rising in the Dame's voice. "He is known as Zendrazane amongst my people."
"Skylaris' consort?" Ashatsinu asked.
"The same." Arana nodded. "He is real and he exists. He resides in a place far from here, but he is devout in the protection of the Children of Stone. They are of his blood as you are of Adam's. His oldest daughter humbled herself and beseeched for the gift of Kiarite that graces the hilts of the sais. Please don't be so ignorant as to dismiss their true worth and value to you."
"I meant no offense, Arana. I simply didn't realize the depth of sentiment that these stones or the legend would inspire in the DeMahri."
"My father gave those to me and the designs for the weapons you hold in your hands." She stared at the sais. "Ten seasons prior, no such weapons existed. Knowing your tribe's aversion to women and bladed weaponry, I asked him to design a weapon resembling a Gargoyle's talons without a blade and he came up with his grandest creations thus far. You hold them in your hands and intellect within those sacred weapons shall instruct you in their mastery. He taught the Amazons and then charged them to teach you."
"Are you saying that these weapons can think?" Ashatsinu sheer wonder hushed her words. "How can that be?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying, Your Highness. DeMahri weaponry also bears the mark of its creator and a sentience worthy of their wielder." Arana allowed one jade talon to trace a path down the sleek design of one of the sai's blades. "When you prove yourself worthy, they shall became part of your deepest psyche; they shall irrevocably bond to you body and soul, Ashatsinu. When a worthy warrior's blood spills upon them in righteous battle, they blood bond to their possessor for the rest of her natural life. What this means is that these Magickal blades will protect you for as long as you breathe and walk the face of this world."
"Why me?" Ashatsinu somehow found the bravery and spoke. "Why will they not bond to a DeMahri warrior?"
"You are much more than you see, Princess, and only Skylaris knows whatever reasons answer your questions. Perchance, someday she will share them with you."
"Then, I can only accept such a gift with utter humility."
"Good." Arana pressed her canine brow in affection to that of the young Human. "It's about time you developed some. I have grown to love you as one of my own hatchlings. As long as you keep these with you, no mortal weapon can do you harm. Zillah has instructed you well in their handling and use. They were crafted by the finest Amazon's serving under Ptah. The Runes of the DeMahri are engraved upon the hilt and the metal bars. Dragon Magick shall always be with you, even if I can not."
"I don't know what to say except 'Thank you."
"That is all that needs to be said." Arana's gleaming crimson eyes dimmed to a shimmering silver. "Inhokomen donated the precious metals from his treasury. He is Simianite to the core, and truly one worthy of trust."
"I try." He chuckled.
"Just one question, Arana." Ashatsinu cocked her head in curiosity toward the aged Dame. "I thought that rumor had it that you were the daughter of Anubis."
"It's just a rumor. Besides, he's far more ominous than a gentle soul like Ptah."
"True." The Princess agreed. "But, why not just call him by his true name?"
"Zendrazane, yes." Arana cocked her head to the side in deep thought. "There is much that your kind aren't ready to learn, Ashatsinu. Humans have a very narrow scope of life. They would lose their battle knowing how great the odds are against them."
To be continued........